Countdown to Jessica Jones Season 2: Not So Secret Origin

On March 8th, the world’s coolest (and snarkiest) detective is back! Jessica Jones returns for a second season of Marvel mishaps on your Netflix service. It’s been a couple of years since Jess flew solo on her own show and who knows what’s coming for her this time around. For the next few weeks, I’ll be dropping knowledge on this superhero turned private dick to get you ready. Join me and find out more reasons why Jessica is just that damn cool.

Based on the trailers released thus far, the new season will focus on Jessica’s origin and how she got her powers. Jessica’s searching for answers. In the comics, the answers were a little easier to come by. Issues 22 and 23 of her first series, Alias, told the tale. In traditional Marvel fashion, she gained her powers through a traumatic accident that left her an orphan. With great power and all that….. But that’s not all! There are a number of moments in these issues that make her origin stand out.

The Amazing Bystander

Days before her superhero origin story began, Jessica was on hand of the start of another one. Turns out Jess was a student at Midtown High and had quite the crush on Peter Parker. Parker didn’t even know she existed. (Nerds can be clueless.) She had just garnered the courage to talk to him when he gets bit by the radioactive spider and excuses himself. Like any kid, she beats herself up for not asking him out. It would be a number of months later when she would get the chance again….after her fateful accident. Peter would see her getting picked on at school and attempt to show empathy. Jess confuses this for pity and storms off in anger. This is the last straw for Jess and leads to her getting so mad, it activates her powers while walking home.

Surprisingly, this exchange would have no lasting effect for Peter. The two would meet “years later” in the pages of New Avengers. When Jess reveals she had a crush on Parker, he would tell her that he only knew her as “coma girl”. Some things you keep to yourself, Parker. Jeez!

Coma Girl

There’s a reason Jessica got the nickname “coma girl” in high school. It’s because she was in a coma, obviously. Her family was driving down the highway at the same time as a convoy of military vehicles. These vehicles were carrying hazardous materials and chemicals. Jessica’s father lost control of the car after getting distracted by Jess and her brother fighting in the back seat. The car slammed into the military transport and one of the chemical tubs would smash through the window. The car blew up and Jess was the only survivor. She would remain in a coma for several months until being awoken by the sound and light of Galactus attacking the Baxter Building.

When she returned to the halls of Midtown High, she was seen as the freaky “coma girl” who couldn’t explain exactly what happened to her. This would make her the butt of jokes from Flash Thompson and the like. High school sucks, even when you get superpowers.

Can’t Stick the Landing

It’s been demonstrated on the Netflix series that Jessica can fly….she just can’t land that well. This is something she found out when her powers first manifested. After her first conversation with Peter Parker didn’t go well, Jessica ran home in anger. As she ran, visions of all the things that have gone wrong in her young life flashed through her mind. She’s lost in her emotions when she suddenly looks down and notices that she’s run right off the ground and up into the sky. She attempts to control her flying but ends up in the river. She attempts to fly back up but to no avail. She’s eventually rescued by Thor and brought back to shore.

Her lack of landing ability will play into her first encounter with a bad guy. While trying out her powers in a local park, Jess would take flight again. Meanwhile, the Scorpion would be robbing a laundry mat nearby. This would prove to be a bad choice for a robbery as not too many people had cash on them aside from quarters. Things would get worse for Scorp when Jessica lands right on top of him. He got taken out by a noob that didn’t even know there was a robbery in progress.

Still a Trash Mouth

Alias was a “mature reader” book under the Marvel MAX line. Because of this, Jess cursed like a long shore man. (That was one of the more tame things she did in the series.) When putting the series together, there were rules about which heroes could be used in Alias and even stricter rules on how they could be used. This is most evident in the two issue origin story. Jess is a teenager full of angst and anger. She swears almost as much as she usually does. This cannot be said for her co-stars.

When she talks to Peter Parker for the first time and when she’s saved from drowning by Thor, she lets out a couple of f-bombs. The reaction by both Peter and Thor is hilarious. They’re not allowed to say these words because they’re not “mature reader” characters. Peter is taken back by the strong language and Thor suggests she use less harsh words. It’s a funny commentary about the different world that Jess inhabits.

Image is Everything

Shortly after Jessica discovers her powers, she see’s J. Jonah Jameson giving an editorial on the local news. This editorial is about how Spider-Man is a “MENACE” (of course!). This prompts her to ask her foster father why do people like The Fantastic Four but hate Spider-Man. He explains that it all comes down to image. People can tell what the FF are all about because they are public figures. Spider-Man conceals his identity and looks creepy. This leads to a conversation about what one would do if they had the power to make a difference. (“With great power…..” and all that.) What’s interesting here is Jess’ perception of image.

When Jones later starts her career as the superhero Jewel, she presents a bright and welcoming image. Later on, it’s obvious that image has lost it’s importance as Alias Investigations is not necessarily “professional”.

So that’s it for this week. Will Jessica’s Netflix origin story be as rich and rewarding as issues 22 and 23 of Alias. We’ll find out soon enough. Check back here next week as I bring you more tidbits on the comic book adventures of one Jessica Jones.